Savor, Celebrate, and Enjoy by Kelly Besecke, Ginny Lennox, and Jamie Ridler

A note from Kelly: This past September, I was getting ready for a bunch of activities related to the launch of my first book. I had looked forward to this moment for years, and I really wanted to savor it. So I turned to my fellow creative dreamers and asked their advice. The result was the wonderful Facebook conversation below. This month, we decided to share this conversation in hopes that it may help you celebrate, savor, and enjoy your creative life.


Kelly Besecke

Here's another request for advice from all you fabulous sparklers! The next couple of months for me are filled with activities related to the launch of my first book. I've been working toward this moment for sixteen years! Also, I've been facing some challenges this year in my personal life. So these two things combined have made me just super eager to suck the marrow out of the next couple of months, really savor and celebrate this moment in my life, this accomplishment I've worked so hard and so long for. So! I would so very much love to hear your advice on ways of savoring accomplishments and good times. It would mean so much to me. How do you celebrate and savor your triumphs and dreams come true? Ginny Lennox, I have an idea that you may have a gift for this, but I'd love to hear from anyone!  (thanks!)


Ginny Lennox

Kelly, you made my day. The two words that came to mind when I read your post were awareness and gratitude. Once I became aware of what was really important to me in my life, I began to notice those things more and more. I remember talking to Jamie about living in the moment, since I am such a planner and always thinking ahead. She said it was fine to plan and think ahead and really be in that moment when you are planning, but after the plans are made, to move on to the next moment and be completely in it. (At least, that is what I heard her say.) It was one of those light-bulb moments that has made life so much simpler and exciting for me.

The second thing that has changed my life has been gratitude. Greg got sick six months after I retired and life changed dramatically for us. After adjusting to the changes, I began to look for all the positive things that happened each day. I started to realize what was important to me - it was people, the sunshine, beautiful skies, etc. I don't know exactly when, but each Friday I began to post on my blog what I am grateful for that week. It is a practice I don't think I will ever stop because it helps me focus on and appreciate what is important.

My celebrations are really an awareness and appreciation for the good things in my life, and it truly seems as if my brain has changed so that it spends a lot more time appreciating the good and ignoring the unimportant. A practical thing that I also do is keep a Reminder Journal. When something really important happens, I write it in the journal so that I won't forget the moment. I write only one or two sentences on a page so that the moment is easy to find. I do enjoy this journal!


Kelly Besecke

Thank you, Ginny! I thought of another piece of advice for myself: slow down. It's like what you say about being in the moment, but slowing down allows me to focus on and appreciate the moment better. Rather than, for example, turning all these activities from the celebrations that they should be into a stressful set of tasks on my to-do list.

In case anyone's interested, this little inquiry of mine has turned into a full-blown project: Project Joy. I've been looking into positive psychology exercises, and one of the coolest I've found is to first identify your signature character strengths and then find fun new ways to use them every day. They can be little things. Like for me, one of my top strengths is "appreciation of beauty and excellence," and so I might make a point of spending twenty minutes in a beautiful natural environment or listening to excellent music. Another one of my strengths is "curiosity and interest in the world," so I might listen to music from another culture or explore a new part of my city. Another is what they call "perspective/wisdom," and one site advised using that by taking a favorite quote and living in alignment with that. Fun. Here's another link--this is where some of these examples come from.


Ginny Lennox

Kelly, I think slowing down definitely helps. If you think of each thing you are going to do as a small step rather than a task and then acknowledge what you have accomplished, it might help. Right now, I am small-stepping my way into buying a new computer, which can be overwhelming for me, but it is helping to recognize each step I take to learn more about what I need and (what is most important) how to effectively use it.


Jamie Ridler

Celebration!! One of my favourite topics EVAH!

One thing that we simply don't do enough these days is mark our achievements. You have been headed towards this for 16 years and now you are here! How will you mark it?

I have a couple of favourite ways to mark an occasion (I feel a blog post coming on!) and I'd love to hear everyone else's.

* Make it Memorable. Mark the day by somehow making it distinctive from other days. Throw a party. Go somewhere you've always wanted to go. Let yourself be in pyjamas for 24 hours. (Hey, combine the pyjama idea with the party idea and voila!) Dye a streak of purple in your hair. Make yourself an "I wrote a book" cake and have it for breakfast.

* Make it tangible. Buy yourself an author's gift, something that will always remind you of your very first book. Get a tattoo or piercing. Write yourself a beautiful letter congratulating yourself for a dream come true.

When I got my coaching certification, I had promised myself a beautiful clock that I had seen at Pottery Barn. When I went to actually go get it, I almost backed out. I found it hard to spend the money. I thought, "I don't need this," but I did. Now every time I look at the time, I remember that I invested in my dreams and in my goal to help other people with theirs.

And you see that clock in just about every picture of my desk and my studio!

And Ginny Lennox, I'm so delighted that light bulb is still burning bright!


Kelly Besecke

I love these ideas! And Jamie, I have never before thought seriously about getting a tattoo, but that's the idea that jumped out at me most! I might get a tattoo!  I might get myself a special present, too! Ooh, fun, pondering what that might be!

Jamie Ridler

Oh, yeah!!!



Kelly Besecke is the still un-tattooed author of You Can't Put God in a Box: Thoughtful Spirituality in a Rational Age. Ginny Lennox, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. Jamie Ridler is a creative living coach who is passionate about authentic living and making creativity come to life.

It’s Time for a Break! By Ginny Lennox

“Stop. Breathe.  Allow yourself the luxury of doing nothing for a moment, or an hour, or even a day.  It is in emptiness that inspiration will appear.”  Carol Katchen

There are times in everyone’s creative life when we need to take a break.  Sometimes our body needs a rest, other times we feel overwhelmed or frustrated and the best thing we can do for ourselves and our work is to give both the time needed to reignite the energy and the passion that makes what we do each day exciting and special.  

I have been going through just such a time.  I was so in love with painting and all of a sudden I was finding it harder and harder to get out my pastels.  So I decided to do what I know is best for me and that is to take a break. There are times when I take a break that I read or walk or take an extra yoga class or two.  I might visit different parks or art galleries or I might rest a little more, sit in the sun, and dream.  

 This time my break is a little different.  I find that I am excited about taking pictures.  The fall colors are just beginning to appear and everywhere I look there seems to be a new photo opportunity.  I know that the pastels will come out again soon but for now I am going to enjoy the season and maybe become a better photographer in the process.

One of the things I often tell friends and clients is to follow your heart.  As we go on our creative journey, it will take many twists and turns.  I encourage everyone to embrace the new paths and opportunities that open up to us so often.  Take time to explore new things.  Give yourself the chance to embrace new ideas and ignite new passions.  Give yourself a break and then see what happens.  Often you will come back to what you left with a new appreciation for what you are creating.  Other times you will find yourself going down a new and exciting path.  The important thing is to listen to your heart and your body and to give yourself the time necessary to decide what to do next.  

Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Be Your Own Best Friend by Ginny Lennox

"The most adventurous journey to embark on; is the journey to yourself, the most exciting thing to discover; is who you really are, the most treasured pieces that you can find; are all the pieces of you, the most special portrait you can recognize; is the portrait of your soul.”  –JoyBell C.

I was reading a blog post just now about being your own teacher and having all of the answers inside of you.  I do believe that as we get to know ourselves better and better we will find the answers to the questions we have, if we give ourselves permission to be still and to be quiet.

When I read the words be your own teacher for some reason the phrase "Be you own best friend" popped into my head.  Some days I do think I am my own best friend.  I try to take care of myself and make decisions that are best for me while not hurting anyone else.  It took a long long time to come to this point in life. But important things are worth waiting for and yes I should have listened to my mother who gave me this advice many years ago when I was a teenager.

What does being my own best friend mean to me?  It means really listening to what I need. It means living a life that is calm and peaceful. It is saying "yes" to things that are interesting and challenging and "no" to things that don't make sense to me now.  It is accepting that writing and painting are an important part of my life and making sure that I create time to do both each day.  It is remembering that exercise makes me feel not only stronger but gives me energy.  It is not being hard on myself when I reread something that I have written and published and then three days later finding not one but two or three or four mistakes.  I would tell my best friend it didn't matter, now I say those same words to me and really mean them.

Being my own best friend means being there for me. It means taking care of me the same way I would take care of someone else.  It means having fun, laughing, and taking a deep breath when things get stressful.  It is reminding myself that life is filled with ups and downs and to learn from both. Most of all its recognizing that I'm not perfect and no one expects me to be.  I think I am going to like being my own best friend.  How about you - what does being your own best friend mean to you?

Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time, Ginny encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Free to Make Mistakes By Ginny Lennox

It is interesting how kind I can be to someone else if they make a mistake and how hard I used to be on myself if everything was not perfect. But I am learning that it is ok to make a mistake. I have to admit I like knowing what I am doing and I like being good at what I do. I also realize that the fear of making a mistake has kept me from trying new things especially if it was something physical. But I have also come to realize, rather late in life, that it is better to try and to make a mistake than to never have the fun of trying. In my fifties I learned to snow ski and to snorkel. Both took me awhile to learn but both were so worth the effort. There were lots of crazy moments learning but the memories provide lots of laughter. When I turned sixty I became immersed in yoga. Again, there were lots and lots of mistakes. But the yoga community was not only welcoming but encouraging. No one but me cared if I could do a perfect downward facing dog and pretty soon I was so happy with my own progress that I stopped comparing myself to everyone else.

Once I realized how great it felt not to compare myself to anyone else while practicing yoga, I made an effort to stop comparing myself in other areas of my life. Comparison can stop you from moving forward and I always want to keep my journey moving. I still want my work to be good but it doesn’t have to be perfect. When I look at my work now, it is with kind eyes. The same kind of eyes I use to look at the work of others. I look for the colors I like in my painting or the sentence that pulls everything together in my blog post. Not having to be perfect is such an easier way to live. It is such a kinder way to live. So now when I make a mistake, I just laugh and move on.

                     I saw the following quote on Pinterest and I think it says it all.

“Imperfection is a form of freedom.” Anh Ngo    It feels good to be free.

Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, Ginny encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Two Very Different Creative Sparks by Ginny Lennox

I had to think a lot about this month’s Creative Dream Journal’s theme of what sparks my creativity. When I think of a spark I think of energy that grows into a brightly colored flame. When I think of how I am creatively that is not the vision I get most of the time. At this point in time, I am most creative in a quiet environment. I love to have everything in order and then begin to write or paint. I might take time to look outside at the colors of nature or just sit and think or meditate in my own way. But I don’t usually feel a rush of adrenaline which carries me into a great frenzy or exuberance of creativity unless…. I am starting a new project that will benefit someone else. Then I feel the excitement. Then I love to think and discuss and collaborate and design and create with a sense of urgency. Even when I am writing about the different ways that I experience creativity, I can feel the difference in my body. One is a personal way to create which may benefit others but begins as a totally personal experience. The other begins and ends with the purpose of benefiting someone else. Both are different but both are equally important. I really had no idea that when I began writing on this topic that this is what I would discover about myself! And that does spark my creativity because I do believe that the more I know about myself the more creative I become. Does your creativity always spark in the same way? Do you feel differently depending upon what you are creating? I know we are all different and experience creativity in our own unique and special way, but I would love to know what inspires you.

Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day


 

Living a Creative Life by Ginny Lennox

“Around here we don’t look backwards for very long… We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

--Walt Disney

I love this inspirational quote from Walt Disney. I have found that in life I am always going down new paths. Sometimes by choice other times because of necessity. But when I go down the path with an open mind plus an open heart , I find that I can always learn something new about myself, my world, and the people in it.

The past few months I have wandered down some new paths with my husband not by choice but by necessity. He has a chronic and progressive lung disease which decided to take some unwanted twists and turns on its own. We faced each new decision together and are now back on the path we want to be. During this time, lots of things had to take a back seat to what was most important – his health. But I also found that along with lots of new medical information I learned something about myself and how important my creative practice has become.

I have always been a creative person I just didn’t know it. But for over six years now I have been on a creative journey that has taken me down many new and interesting paths. Writing and painting have become part of who I am. I look forward to writing my blog, to using my pastels, and to taking pictures. I love to begin each day doing something creative. Yoga fills my soul and being in nature inspires me! When I couldn’t fill my days with these things for the past several months, I realized how important they had become to me and how important it is to protect the creative side of who I am.

Life is filled with ups and downs. It has its own flow and rhythm. Sometimes we can control those ups and downs. Sometimes we can’t. But I believe that the more we know ourselves and what is important to us, the easier it is to weather the storm. So now I make sure to bring a small sketchbook with me to a doctor’s visit and draw while we are waiting. Or I get up a little earlier to paint a picture or write a blog post. If I miss a yoga class, I do my practice at home. I realized during the past few months how important color is to my mood and/or creative life. So I am adding more color to my paintings and to my wardrobe. Bright scarves can brighten any day and help me to express who I am in a simple yet creative way.

Sometimes life changes and with those changes comes new ways to sustain or build a creative life. Being curious, being open, knowing one’s self and staying true to who you are makes finding new ways to express yourself fun and exciting. There are always ways to protect your creative life. You just have to be open to finding them.

I would love to know how you have found time to be creative when life seemed to get in the way.


Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

You Can Always Bring Your Own Sunshine by Ginny Lennox

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine with you. -    Anthony J. D'Angelo
                                                                                                                        
I love this quote. It is has been rainy and dreary all week. I was hoping for snow but it didn't come and so we were all disappointed. Friday the sun came out and people started to come out of their houses. I heard people in the coffee shop talking about how different they felt now that the sun was back and I understood what they were saying. And then today I decided to find a quote about sunshine and “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine with you” made so much sense to me.

I can bring my own sunshine with me no matter where I go or what I am doing. I don't have to let the weather affect how I feel. I don’t have to let the weather, or anything else for that matter, affect how I feel or react to things. On rainy days I can remember how much I love to curl up with a good book and read with a cup of tea or coffee. I can also remember how much I used to love to jump and play in the puddles when I was little. Just the memory may be enough to make me smile or I might need to take a walk in the rain and if not jump in at least stomp in a few puddles along the way.

Bringing our own sunshine with us can take on so many different meanings. Think about how a sunny smile can go a long way to cheer up a grumpy person or how a sunny personality makes others feel just a little bit happier even though they may not know exactly why. When I look at the sculpture above it reminds me of so many things that make me feel like I am experiencing the warmth of sunshine. Friendship, sharing, creating, teaching all make my world sunny.

Someone just told me it is supposed to rain again Thursday. But this week I won't let it bother me because today I was reminded that no matter what I can always bring my own sunshine into any situation. I hope you have a sunny month filled with lots and lots of special moments.

What brings sunshine to your world no matter what the weather?


Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Life is a Great Big Canvas by Ginny Lennox

  “Life is a great big painting and you should throw all of the paint on it you can.”  --Danny Kaye

The above painting is something I did with watercolors years ago. I have been going back over some of my paintings just to remember how it felt to be a beginner and to see just what kind of progress I have made.  It has been fun because when I started painting I used to be so critical of my work.  I always felt like an imposter and could see all of the mistakes and flaws in what I was creating.  Now, I realize there are lots of mistakes and flaws but I don't care anymore.  I realize that my paintings aren't about being artistically correct but about evoking memories for me and hopefully for someone else.

The painting above represents how much time and love my husband put into teaching me how to ski.  At 50 I decided I was going to learn to do something I couldn't do at 21.  Every year we would fly out to Keystone and spend an incredible week on the slopes.  It took three years before I could ski but I finally did it.  So when I look at the painting above I see a special time in my life.  I see snow, and gondolas, and snow mobile rides.  I see them slowing down the ski lifts because everyone knew if I was getting on it wouldn't be pretty.  I see lots of smiles and hugs and of course a few tears after falling down 100 times.

I agree with Danny Kaye - life is a great big canvas.  Some days the canvas is filled with bright colors and lots of movement.  Other days it is covered in soft pastels and quiet moments.  There may be times when my canvas has a cloud or two covering it.  For me, the key is to realize that each day is different.  Each day brings with it opportunities to create and enjoy something new.  Each day is a blank canvas just ready, for as Danny Kaye would say, "to throw all the paint on it I can."   So I hope you will join me this year in creating one big, beautiful and memorable canvas after another. Let's throw some paint and make some memories!

Ginny, a certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach, believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Big Wishes for 2013

The team at Creative Dream Journals answered this question....

What is your
Dream
Wish
Blessing
for each other and for the world in 2013?

...here are our collective WISHES and DREAMS for 2013.....

My wish for every person in the world is that they get a big hug from someone who loves them. ~ Kim

My wish is that we connect, learn to listen, share ideas, and create synergetic solutions in our world. ~ Alli

I dream of deep connection with the beautiful women in this circle, and for peace and joy for all the beautiful women (and people:) in the world. ~ Lisa

I wish for all my circle sisters the joy of being inspired and living your best dream. For the world I wish to create together the world we wish to live in. To live with respect for one another. Happy 2013. It's ours to create with what we will. ~Valarie

My wish is that everyone is able to find love in their heart for themself and then is able to spread that love throughout the world so that we can all live in peace. I am also looking forward to getting to know all the ladies of the circle on a deeper level. It will be so much fun watching everyone grow, and dream, and accomplish so many wonderful things this year. ~ Ginny

For the world, I wish for the love that binds us together and nourishes us, and I especially wish for this love to brighten the lives of children, animals, the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable. For every person in the world, I wish happiness! For my dreamer buddies, I wish for exciting, unexpected, happy creative growth as you become ever more amazing. ~ Kelly

May the magic of your heart reveal itself to you. May you find the courage to follow where it leads. This day and all days. With love ~ Jamie

 

Why Can't It Be Diamonds? by Ginny Lennox

When reading Jamie Ridler’s blog not too many years ago I learned of the practice of picking a word for the year instead of making a New Year’s resolution. I loved the idea and immediately chose the word Sparkle. I don’t think I am an introvert but I am very quiet in many situations. I decided that it was my time to take a chance and step into the spotlight just a little bit. I wanted to sparkle and it was fun to think of this as the word that would lead me throughout the year. I was explaining what I was going to do to my yoga teacher and said, “Of course when I say sparkle I don’t mean diamonds.” Before I could continue she asked, “Why can’t it be diamonds?” At that moment, I realized even though I had picked the word sparkle I was already limiting all the ways I could sparkle. I was choosing a word that would help me grow and change but I was putting boundaries around that idea before I even got started.

I’ve been learning to sparkle ever since. Sometimes it’s through the clothes I choose to wear. Other times it is through the words I write or the pictures I paint. Recently I have decided to enter the world of creativity coaching and help others to sparkle.

It’s been a little intimidating learning to sparkle but it has been fun too. Every time I say that I am an artist or a writer or a coach my light gets a little brighter. I still don’t have that diamond but it’s not because I’m afraid to want too much. The sparkle I am looking for comes from within. You don’t need diamonds to make your light get brighter and brighter. It comes from knowing who you are, what you love to do, and sharing your dreams and yourself with the world. Then it is easy to sparkle!

I hope that everyone will have a wonderful holiday season filled with love, laughter, and lots and lots of sparkle!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day. 

Knowing Who I Am Now by Ginny Lennox

 As I think back over my life creativity has always been a part of it. Only, I didn’t recognize just how important it was to me until recently. As a little girl I loved to read and write. I dreamed of being an author one day and in second grade turned in a short story to be published in a magazine. My story wasn’t chosen but that didn’t stop me from writing. I wrote, produced, and starred in a play in sixth grade. I still remember how I loved doing that but slowly creativity took a back seat to other things and I stopped dreaming of being a movie star or writing a book.

When I taught parents either requested that their child be in my classroom or requested someone else. My room looked and sounded different than all of the rest of the classrooms. Children were actively engaged in projects. They were writing, drawing, creating and sharing. Sometimes they worked in their desks other times they were on the floor. They still did well on statewide tests so I was left alone to teach in a way that many could not understand. Yet, I still did not recognize myself as being creative. I just thought I was doing what was best for the kids and I still do.

As I moved through my career, I began to study creativity and how important it was to recognize that we are all creative people. We all have unique gifts and talents and it is those gifts and talents that should be celebrated. I shared this knowledge with my students and my fellow teachers. Some embraced the idea, others did not.

And now we come to this part of my life. It is a time that I am devoting to finding out who I really am NOW. It’s been fun to take this journey. It started with yoga, then onto blogging and meeting Jamie Ridler. Working with Jamie individually and as part of Circe’s Circle was an integral part of embracing my creativity and sharing it with others. I am painting and writing and taking pictures. It’s been interesting to watch my own growth. I have always known that I love water of any kind. Water always appears in my work. I love the mountains and the sky and big fluffy clouds. They too are in almost everything I create. I had an art teacher recently say she was going to push me and wanted me to paint something without water or a mountain. What I realized and politely told her was that I would love to be pushed but for now there would always be a body of water or a mountain or sometimes both in my work because I wanted them there. Acknowledging my creativity has given me a voice. I used to use that voice for others, now I use it to speak for myself as well. I know who I am. I know what I like. I know what I want to do. And it feels great!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Completion by Ginny Lennox

What does completion mean to me?  That is a really interesting question.

There were times that it meant a feeling of loss.  There were times when I completed something that I felt a real sense of emptiness.  All of the planning, all of the work, all of the excitement was over and the feeling that I was left with was emptiness.  At these times I realized how much I enjoyed the journey and now that it was over how much I missed it.  These were the times I asked myself, “What should I do next?” 

Other times completion meant a feeling of joy and excitement.  I had reached a goal or accomplished a task and I felt good about it.  I already knew what I wanted to do next and I was ready to start.

Now completion means that one door has closed leaving room for another door to open.  I have come to realize that there is always another door, another journey, another adventure to be taken.  The important part is not the ending but the moments between the beginning of something new and its completion.   Enjoying the challenge, the fun, the excitement and then celebrating the completion is what I do now. I live in the present while I prepare for the future.    I don’t worry about what is going to happen next.  I have come to realize that as long as I am open to learning new things there will always be a new beginning with a wonderful ending to celebrate.   That is what completion means to me today.  What does it mean to you?

Footnote:  When I finished typing this piece I looked to my right.  On my windowsill sat a quote and a note I wrote to myself on New Year’s Day.  The quote was from Joseph Campbell and said, “Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.”  The note that I wrote to myself said, “Trust that doors will open in 2012.”  They have opened and I know they will continue to do so.  Just another “wink,” as Jamie Ridler would say, from the Universe that I am on the right path.

Ginny Lennox believes that each and every day is filled with special moments. On her blog Special Moments In Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments. Ginny also believes that we are all creative and talented people. In her workshops, All About Me and Circle of Dreams, Ginny shares ways to discover your talents.

The Power of Gratitude by Ginny Lennox

For over a year now I have had a weekly practice of posting what I am grateful to have experienced that week on my Friday blog post. For the past six months, I have been a contributor to Jamie Ridler’s Creative Dream Journals. This month the two have intersected as the topic for the journal is Gratitude and is due on the day I usually write my post. I think the universe is reminding me that I can multi-task when I have to.

I have always been a person who has been grateful for the gifts that life has offered me. But I know I have never been someone who has talked about those gifts or shared with others why I am so grateful for all that I have. Six years ago I realized how easy it is to take for the granted the things that are there for us each day. It was at this time my husband started having trouble breathing. Breathing wasn’t something either one of us ever thought about. We just got up in the morning and took a deep breath and started the day. But then it suddenly became not so simple and through lots of tests and evaluations Greg was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension and life started to change. When you go through a major life change it is easy to get discouraged and we were no different than anyone else. But out of desperation, whenever one of us would see the negative the other would point out the positive. Within a short time it became easier and easier to see the positive in most situations. It took a little practice but it also became easier to share with others the simple but positive things I noticed in my life each day. My hope was and is that if I share the things I am grateful for, I might touch someone else and they too will start to notice and celebrate the wonderful things they are experiencing. It would be awesome to start a gratitude chain that just keeps growing and growing.

Since beginning this practice life has changed. Each day is special. Each moment counts. The world is a beautiful place and I notice and appreciate all that it has to offer. So the thing I am most grateful for this week is my gratitude practice. I am so glad that I take the time to notice the special moments that appear each day. I am glad that I take the time to share them with others. I have noticed that the more I share with others the more they share with me. I hope you will take just a minute to share with the world what you are most grateful for today and every day. It is a simple practice that can make a big difference in your life.

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day

Enjoy the Moment by Ginny Lennox

                                                        
                                       In seed time learn,
                                     in harvest time teach,
                                    in winter enjoy.   William Blake

Yesterday when we got to the lake I walked just a little bit by myself.  As I stood on the bank, I looked to my left and there stood a beautiful white duck.  I thought she would immediately move or swim away but to my surprise she stood quietly watching the water.  I was able to take quite a few pictures and I really enjoyed the moment. 

I have been taking lots of classes and workshops to become a better artist, a better photographer, or a better writer.  I am sure they all prepared me for this special experience.  But in the moment yesterday, the thing that I was most grateful for was that I happened upon this spot at just the right time with my camera ready to capture the beauty that was in front of me.  Just as Blake said, there is a time to learn, a time to teach, and a time to enjoy.  Yesterday was a time to enjoy.  I hope that your life will be filled with many unexpected moments that you will take the time to enjoy!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Teaching by Ginny Lennox

I am sure we all have a favorite teacher.   They made us think, they challenged us with their questions or their projects, and they let us know they cared not only about us but about everyone in the class.  It is not easy being this type of teacher but it is the type of teacher that every child and adult deserves.

Having spent the last thirty years of my life in a school, I feel qualified to say what makes a great teacher.  It does not matter if you are five or sixty-five you deserve to be taught by someone who is passionate about their subject matter and can make that subject come alive before your eyes.  A great teacher is someone who knows and truly understands that not everyone is the same or learns the same. They prepare their lessons for every type of learner.  They come to class every day prepared and ready to teach.

The question is often asked, “Are teachers born or can you be taught to be a teacher?”  I think it is a little bit of both.  I really believe a great teacher is born with the desire to help people and is able to share what they know in a way that is nonthreatening.  Teachers can be taught strategies but they cannot be taught to care.  A teacher who cares about her students will find a way to reach them all.  They will know when to ask for help with a student who is struggling and they will be glad to let the advanced students move ahead.

Now that I have retired I have been taking lots of classes.  Some of the classes have a teacher standing in front of me and some are online.  It doesn’t matter which type of class I am in.  A good teacher is a good teacher.  They know what the objectives of the class are and they know how to evaluate whether their lessons are meeting the needs of their students.  They are always finding a way to communicate with their students.  As an adult student, be sure that your goals for what you want to learn meet that of the teacher’s syllabus.

I know that you don’t have to be in a classroom to teach.  We are all teaching people all of the time.  But I can tell you there is nothing like that moment when a child’s eyes light up when they understand something for the first time.  There is nothing better than teaching the son or daughter of one of your former students and know that they requested that their child be in your class.  There is nothing better than getting a hug at the end of the day or an apple at lunch from a five year old.  Just yesterday I saw one of my previous kindergarten students.  She is now a mom with a child in third grade.  We both remembered her kindergarten year fondly.   It was so much fun to reminisce about all those special days so many years ago.

If you have a special teacher and you know how to reach her, let her know you still care.  I bet one of the reasons you still do is because when you were in his or her class they let you know in some way each day how very much they cared about you!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Do You Have Time to Play? by Ginny Lennox

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

Kay Redfield Jamison, Contemporary American Professor of Psychiatry

When I found the above quote I really liked it. I agree with this quote but I also believe that it’s not only children who need to play but all people. No matter how old or how young we are, we all need to take the time to play. It helps us to relax, to get to know ourselves better, and it allows our creativity to blossom.

When you look at your day or week how much time is left to play? Can you arrange your schedule to allow time to play? I was someone who forgot how to play for a long time. I became so absorbed in my job that I forgot to leave time for me. It was only after retiring, that I realized that I hadn’t seen the sun rise or set for a very long time. I went to work in the dark and came home in the dark not because I had to but because I had become so consumed with my job. I had not really enjoyed the change of seasons or just relaxed unless I went away on trip for the specific purpose of relaxing or seeing the color of the leaves. If I had built some time for play into my life, I am sure I would have felt better and probably would have been much more productive.

It is easy, even when you are retired, to become so involved in projects that you forget to take time for yourself and to play. I made that mistake once but I am trying not to do it again. Now, I make sure there is time to do something just for me every day. When I paint, I feel like I am playing. When I write, I feel like I am playing. And when I am taking pictures I can get lost for hours just playing with my camera. It would be easy for me to become too serious about any one of these things. I tend to like things to be perfect. But when I see that happening I step back, take a deep breath, and remember how much more fun it is to play than it is to be perfect. Then I pick up the paintbrush, the pen, or the camera and begin to play once again.

How do you play? Playing is not something that comes naturally to me so I would love to know what you think of as play.

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Courage by Ginny Lennox

Since I began my love of photography, I have resisted learning a lot about the techniques involved in taking pictures. This is very unusual for me because teaching and learning are as much a part of me as is my name. But I knew that at least for awhile I just wanted to enjoy the process and learn by doing rather than by reading or being taught what to do. Last December I finally decided it was time to take a class on how to correctly take a picture. Let me be sure to say the teacher was excellent and very kind when discussing our pictures. Before the class I really liked the above picture. I liked the way the water sparkled and the way the waves curled. When I brought my picture to class to share, I learned that the sparkles were really blown out spots and that there was probably a better way to take this picture. Because I tend to be a perfectionist, this definitely changed the way I viewed the picture.

This Sunday for an online class I am taking, I was asked to choose a picture from my inspiration file for an assignment on Intuitive Photojournaling. As I was looking through my pictures, I was again drawn to the above picture and to the sparkles on the water. That was when I was reminded once again that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What may be a blown out spot to one person can be a sparkle to me. And that's ok! So no more worrying about techniques. For now it is enough to be outside with my camera, taking pictures, and enjoying each and every special moment!

What does the above post have to do with this month’s theme of courage? I think a lot. As a person who tends to follow the rules, it is often hard to be comfortable breaking them. But if I want to see my own individual idea of creativity grow that is exactly what I have to do and that takes confidence and courage. Courage comes in all sizes and shapes. When I think of someone who is courageous, I think of a soldier going to war, a policeman stopping a criminal, or a fireman rescuing a family. I think of a shy person speaking to a large group or a timid person learning to say no. For each of us courage may look or feel a little differently depending on what we are doing or where we are in life. As a person who is learning to be more comfortable with her own individual sense of creativity, it takes courage to say, “My picture may not follow the rules of photography but that’s ok. It still looks great to me!”

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Follow Your Bliss by Ginny Lennox

  "Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before."
Joseph Campbell (Chapter 12 The Artist's Way)

Yesterday my husband and I went searching for places to take pictures.  We decided to walk through an antique store that we had been in many times before.  It was beautifully decorated with twinkling lights and many kinds of brightly shining objects.  But as we turned the corner there was an opening that I had never noticed before.  It was like walking through a magical door that led to quiet and solitude.  It was large and fairly dark but there was something special about it.  There was a calm and peacefulness to this space that the front of the store did not possess.  I am sure we will walk through that door many times again.  Possibly to hang one of my paintings or pictures on the wall.  Maybe as I follow my bliss that door will open many new opportunities and adventures for me.  Only time will tell.

What door would you like to open this week?

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured.  On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

Taking A Creative Journey – One Imperfect Step At A Time by Ginny Lennox

For the past five years I have been on a creative journey. It’s been amazing! It’s been frustrating! It has been so rewarding. Not only have I discovered some hidden talents but I have learned a lot about myself along the way. My journey actually began with yoga. After a difficult start, I realized that I probably would never be able to stand on my head. But I also learned how terrific I felt after class and that it didn’t matter if I could stand on my head. It just mattered that I enjoyed what I was doing. Then I took several painting classes and enjoyed all of them. But when I looked at my work I decided I would never really be a great artist and thought maybe there might be something else I should be doing. I remembered how much I loved to write so I took writing classes, started a blog, and began to write a book. I realized I do love writing and getting to know all of the other bloggers but writing a book can be a lonely process so my book and all of its characters are in the drawer for now. This month I took a photography class. Once again, it was so much fun meeting the other online students and seeing their work. The assignments have helped me to learn more about myself as a photographer. It was really fun to learn that I do have a point of view when I take pictures or that I actually can say I have a shooting style. Who knew? Certainly, not me. Now, I am starting an art journal where I can combine all of my new interests.

When I started this journey it was about finding something to do with my time. It was about meeting new people and learning new things. Now, it has become a way of life. I look at each day a little differently. When I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to see how the sun shines through the trees or the raindrops glisten on the leaves. I can’t wait to take a picture to capture the moment or quickly sketch a flower in my journal. I look forward to writing a blog post and sharing it with my new friends around the world. Once it was about becoming an artist, or a writer, or a photographer. Now, it is about being creative, enjoying the process and producing something that makes me or someone else smile. In the beginning I was worried because I changed what I was doing so often. Now, I realize that on this journey I will always be changing but that my interests will always be intertwined. I think one of the most important things I have learned is not to be afraid to pick up the paint brush, or to start a blog, or to take a picture. I wanted to paint the perfect picture the first time I took a class. That didn’t happen. In fact, it still hasn’t happened and I doubt that it ever will. But this journey is not about being perfect. It is about enjoying life and all of the experiences that are there just for the taking. So, you may find a few sentence fragments in this piece. That’s ok. My pictures might be a little out of focus. Picasa can fix that. I might be facing right when the rest of the yoga class is turning left. I’ll figure it out soon enough. Is it easy going from a perfectionist to someone who is enjoying the process not necessarily the outcome? Definitely not. Is it worth taking a chance and risking the outcome? Absolutely, positively, yes!! So I invite you to begin or restart your own creative journey. I promise you that you will not be disappointed!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time, she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day.

First Step by Ginny Lennox

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” Ayn Rand

When I saw this quote I thought it was perfectly aligned to what I was reading in chapter seven of The Artist’s Way. In this chapter on connection, the subject of perfectionism was touched upon. Julie Cameron believes that as we struggle to be perfect we actually stop ourselves from moving forward. In trying to make things better and better and by doing them over and over again, we become stuck. It is easy for me to see this in others but more difficult to see this trait in myself. But if I am honest with myself and now the world, there are times that I have not moved forward or became stuck because I was afraid my story or picture or painting would be viewed by others as “not good enough”.

Since this is something I don’t want to happen again, I took a look at my life and how I handled things to become unstuck, to get rid of that voice that said I couldn’t do it or that my work wasn’t good enough. For me the answer is to take action. It means to pick up the phone and ask for the job, to send out the email with a suggestion on how I can help, or to display the painting or picture on a prominent wall in my house. I haven’t always gotten the job or my suggestions weren’t always received with open arms but I did become unstuck and I did begin to move again. I am not a person who takes giant steps all at once. I usually take one small step at a time and then I watch to see what happens. This works for me. Something else might work for you. But I do believe that the key to moving forward is taking that first, second, and third step and then watching to see what happens. Sometimes you get the answer you are waiting for right away. Sometimes it takes hundreds of more steps or maybe a giant leap! But for me life is all about taking the first step and moving forward. Won’t you join me? I’d love to know what first, second or third step you are taking today!

Ginny Lennox believes that each and every day is filled with special moments. On her blog Special Moments In Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments. Ginny also believes that we are all creative and talented people. In her workshops, All About Me and Circle of Dreams, Ginny shares ways to discover your talents.